The present invention relates to an ink image-recording element.
In a typical inkjet recording or printing system, ink droplets are ejected from a nozzle at high speeds towards a recording element or medium to produce an image on the medium. The recording elements typically comprise a support or a support material having on at least one surface thereof an ink-receiving or image-forming layer. In order to achieve and maintain high quality images on such an image-recording element, the recording element must:
Exhibit no banding, bleed, coalescence, or cracking in inked areas.
Exhibit the ability to absorb large amounts of ink and dry quickly to avoid blocking.
Exhibit high optical densities in the printed areas.
Exhibit freedom from differential gloss.
Have high levels of image fastness to avoid fade from contact with water or radiation by daylight, tungsten light, or fluorescent light.
Have excellent adhesive strength so that delamination does not occur.
While a wide variety of different types of image-recording elements for use with inkjet devices have been proposed heretofore, there are many unsolved problems in the art and many deficiencies in the known products which have severely limited their commercial usefulness. A major challenge in the design of an image-recording element is laminate adhesion. A typical coating from the prior art comprises a layer containing hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose and a vinyl latex polymer, a layer of pectin, a layer of poly(vinyl alcohol) and polyurethane, and a layer of lime processed osseine gelatin in the order recited. This formulation has demonstrated poor laminate adhesion. U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,704 discloses an inkjet recording element comprising a support, a hydrophilic image-recording layer and an overcoat layer comprising a vinyl latex polymer further comprising a hydrophobic monomer, a hydrophilic nonionic monomer and a cationic monomer. However, the image quality of this element is often poor. U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,624 discloses an inkjet recording element which has a base layer comprised of a blend of poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) and at least one hydrophilic liquid absorbent polymer and an ink transmissive upper layer of methyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose and blends thereof and an organic acid salt. U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,507 discloses an inkjet recording element which has a base layer comprised of a blend of poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) and polyvinylpyrrolidinone and an upper layer which comprises methyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose and blends thereof and an organic acid salt. EP 1 110 745 discloses an inkjet recording element which has a hydrophilic absorbing layer comprising gelatin or poly(vinyl alcohol), a laminate adhesion promoting layer comprising pectin or alginate and a hydrophilic overcoat layer comprising hydroxyethyl cellulose and blends thereof and an organic acid salt. These inkjet recording elements, as disclosed, demonstrate inadequate laminate adhesion. DE 197 21 238 A1 discloses the use of a single layer of succinylated pigskin gelatin in inkjet papers
It is an object of this invention to provide an ink recording element which has excellent image quality, less differential gloss, and better laminate adhesion than the elements of the prior art.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided an ink recording element comprising a support having a hydrophilic absorbing layer and a hydrophilic overcoat polymer layer comprising cellulose ether and a vinyl latex polymer.
The ink recording element of the invention produces advantages with respect to improved image quality, less differential gloss, and improved laminate adhesion when compared to the elements of the prior art.